Yes, to be honest, he should have spoken the truth from the start and forcefully dragged on the truth for twenty years.
Xiao Jing panicked in her heart. She didn"t know what to do and s.h.i.+fted her gaze away. Sweat dripped from her ears and temples. It wasn"t hot; she was scared.
Xiao Yao put down the cup, his palms sweating profusely. He stood up and faced the child who had unknowingly grown tall. His voice trembled a little, perhaps with unprecedented excitement.
Xiao Jing quickly said, "Father, I know that my rank doesn"t qualify me to stand beside the Marshal to carry out the task, but this is an order from my superior. I can"t refuse."
Xiao Yao almost blurted out the truth after hearing her obvious excuse. He clenched his fists tightly, as if his mustered courage had been instantly destroyed.
If he wanted to say more, it would be difficult.
The room was quiet for at least five minutes.
Xiao Jing lowered her eyes but didn"t say anything. The shadows in the room seemed to be drifting about erratically.
Xiao Yao sat back in his chair, took a sip of water, and closed his eyes. "You know what I want to say, right?"
Xiao Jing remained silent.
Xiao Yao raised his head to look at her. From the evasive look in her eyes, it seemed that she was afraid to say such a thing.
"Father, it"s late at night."
Xiao Jing tried to cover it up.
Xiao Yao laughed mockingly to himself, "Yes, it"s deep into the night."
Xiao Jing saluted. "No matter what, this matter has nothing to do with my mother. Please treat her well."
"Child, do you think I am ashamed of you and your mother?"
Xiao Yao sighed softly, "That"s right, I"ve indeed done you all wrong."
"Father …"
"Perhaps it is because of my previous mistake, but if I say anything more, it will seem that I"m being hypocritical."
Xiao Yao stood up and suddenly aged like an old man in his twilight years. All that was left of him was loneliness and melancholy.
Xiao Jing looked at her father"s indescribable grief as he left. Somehow, she gained courage and called out, "Father, you didn"t do anything wrong, Mother didn"t do anything wrong. This matter, no one is wrong."
"I was a man who did not take responsibility. I failed Xiao Hong"s mother more than twenty years ago and hurt your mother, and in the end, I ended up implicating you. You can be carefree but you are forced to charge at me with a gun on your back."
She said, "Yes, you"re right, everything you said was because of you. You were too sad, mistaking your mother, and you hurt her, but you didn"t care about it. Afterwards, when you married into the Xiao family, you were left in the lurch. Father, I"ve been thinking about how you are a great hero, and how you can do anything wrong."
"The ones who are wrong are only insignificant people like us, but our wrongs can"t even compare to your cold eyes."
Xiao Yao turned around and their gazes met. A thin layer of light appeared in his eyes as if it would flow down in a flash.
"You hate me, don"t you?"
"Yes."
Xiao Jing didn"t avoid saying that her reply was disrespectful, and without any hesitation, she blurted it out.
The room was quiet again.
"It"s only right that you hate me."
Xiao Yao"s voice trembled a little as he replied, "I am the one who has done you wrong."
"The Xiao family"s matriarch is a senior, you are the imperial marshal, one of the most outstanding heroes, and you are also an elder. Mother once said, no matter whether you treat us harshly or give up on us, as long as you are in the Xiao family, I have no choice but to respect you and not love you. Therefore, I never dare to hate you."
"Child, I was wrong."
I always thought that as long as I stayed in the 525 Group for 5 years, everything would return to dust and dust, and I would be able to leave with my mother, leaving the Xiao Family"s right and wrong, even if you refused to let her go due to your pride, I would still steal her away.
Xiao Yao remained silent.
"Yes, everything has changed. I am beginning to wonder, to feel uneasy, to feel at a loss.
My mother and I have been acting as self-directed for so many years, and we thought that a flawless play was full of flaws. "
Xiao Jing raised her head high up to prevent her eyes from getting wet from tears.
Xiao Yao took a step forward. "Child, yes, I should have explained earlier. Our Xiao family doesn"t need any generals, heroes, or things that we"ve never lacked. We don"t need you to give up your life to obtain them."
"That"s right, there"s no shortage. So even if I try my best to obtain it, it won"t be of much use. In the eyes of the Grand Matron, my mother and I are still people who won"t be able to make it on the stage."
Xiao Jing lowered her head. Her vision was a little blurry. She didn"t know if she was crying, but it seemed that she was crying.
Xiao Yao felt that all his words were useless. Facing a child who had been trembling in fear for twenty-five years, he felt guilty and did not dare to face him.
Xiao Jing turned around. "Please go back. Please don"t take those disrespectful words to heart."
"All these years, I have been the cause of your guilt, so I will no longer restrain you. Even if you have that level of relations.h.i.+p with Shen Chengfeng, I will not stop you. That"s your freedom, your happiness, I can only stand behind you as a senior. If, I say if, after a few years, Shen Chengfeng is gone …"
"Father."
Xiao Jing interrupted him, "Since you"ve already said that, there"s no need to hide anything anymore. The captain and I are sincere. Even if the entire world doubts us, we are sincere."
"I"m not doubting his sincerity towards you. I"m just afraid that you will be sad in the future."
"If there really comes a day, these few years together will be enough for me to remember for the rest of my life."
"I can"t say for sure. My life is actually just a few years."
"Child."
Xiao Yao gave up on superfluous words.
"Sir, please take care."
Xiao Jing faced Xiao Yao and performed the standard military salute.
Xiao Yao left the room. The moment the door closed, his clenched fist slowly relaxed.
The car sped away in the dark.
The adjutant sat in the copilot"s seat and looked at the grave face of the officer who had been in the car. Out of concern, he asked, "Aren"t we having a good time?"
Xiao Yao shook his head. "Go back."
Sir, if you want to make up for it, you should do so step by step. I have watched the fourth young master grow up in these years. He and his wife have been living in Cangshan, like two abandoned innocent women and children. All of a sudden, when you want to accept them, you comfort and protect them with words you think are very gentle.
You force them to accept your guilt, you force them to give up their distance from you. "
"Then what should I do?"
The aide-de-camp continued, "It would be best if you did as you wish. The fourth young master is a capable person now, and he can take charge of himself. You should stand by the side and support him, rather than forcing him to support you. After the fourth young master gets used to your support, all those petty tricks will disappear in a puff of smoke."
Xiao Yao looked outside the car, perhaps he had been too agitated.
In the night, a shooting star quietly descended from the sky.
The next day, just as the sky started to brighten, the mansion began to bustle with activity.
Xiao Jing walked down the stairs. The first thing she saw was the officer reading the newspaper on the sofa. She hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Sir, good morning."
"Captain Xiao, you can sleep for a while longer. Our departure time is around nine o"clock."
One day, sipping coffee, Shen flipped through the pages of the newspaper.
"Yes, sir."
Xiao Jing awkwardly stood to the side. What should she do next?
Shen Tian noticed the figure behind him and turned around. "Since you"re awake, then go and eat something."
"Yes, sir."
Xiao Jing walked to the dining hall, where the servants had already prepared breakfast.
Xiao Jing was in a difficult position. It seemed that none of her superiors had come to eat. As a subordinate or a future daughter-in-law, this was why she couldn"t just sit down and eat as she pleased.
"Captain Xiao, there"s no need to be restrained. Our family doesn"t have any rules requiring the elders to use their chopsticks before the younger generation can move. Eat first, I will read this newspaper and then come over."
Shen Tian seemed to know his concerns as he spoke.
Xiao Jing sat down on a chair. She picked up a piece of bread and took two bites before seeing General Yan, who was wearing a military uniform, walking out.
General Yan Jun nodded to the saluting Xiao Jing and said, "Sit down and eat. Our family doesn"t have many rules. Although you are one of the subordinates of our Third Brother, you are a guest. Eat more."
"Yes, sir."
Xiao Jing was slightly relieved. It seemed that after marrying into the Shen family, she wouldn"t have to worry about not being careful and committing a taboo.
Wait a minute, why do I keep fantasizing about marrying into the Shen family these two days?
I can"t wait to get married.
Yan Jun stirred the milk and took a sip.
Xiao Jing snuck a peek at the two executives who were reading the newspaper while eating breakfast.
"Is there something Captain Xiao wants to say to me?"
Shen Tianyi looked up and met his eyes that he did not have the time to retract.
Xiao Jing almost choked on her bread. She quickly drank a mouthful of milk to calm herself and said, "No, I just thought that since both of you are so amiable, anyone who marries the captain and the others in the future will definitely be very happy."
He put down the newspaper and said, "What you said is true. Although the daughter-in-law won"t be able to eat as soon as she wakes up and will enjoy the treatment after eating and playing, our Shen family"s daughter-in-law also doesn"t have as many rules to restrict her. At most, breakfast should be prepared by them, lunch should be prepared by them, and dinner should be prepared by them."
"The elders cannot take a seat before they speak, and the elders are not allowed to move their chopsticks after they have not eaten. However, as time goes by, I will feel that I am a very gentle person and will definitely not manage them militarily."
All of a sudden, he felt that he could consider the matter of marriage a little longer.
Yan Jun suddenly came over. With a solemn expression, she asked, "Have you seen the lady that your captain brought back?"
Xiao Jing couldn"t help but blush as she nodded. "I have."
"How"s the girl?"
"Beautiful, tall, capable, and gentle. She is very nice to the team leader. It is a perfect match for her."
"Then which military region is she from?"
Yan Jun asked again.
"I"m not sure."
Xiao Jing was afraid that if she said too much, she would definitely lose, so she hurriedly stuffed it into her mouth to eat a piece of bread.
Yan Jun sighed. "I am getting more and more curious about this mysterious aura."
"No, you mustn"t be curious."
Shen Tianyi held onto her restless hand. "We agreed to ask the children about each other, but we are the same kind of military men. We cannot go back on our word."
Yan Jun sat back on the chair and said, "I was just speaking casually. It won"t be long until the New Year."
Shen Chengyi brought his jacket into the dining room and picked up a piece of bread. Seeing the weird atmosphere, he asked, "What were you guys talking about just now?"
"Ask your future sister-in-law."
Yan Jun said.
Shen Chengyi"s eyes narrowed as he subconsciously looked at Xiao Jing and asked in surprise, "What do you guys know?"
"We know what needs to be known."
Shen Chengyi frowned, "You really know?"
"Aren"t you angry?"
"How could I not be angry? Your brother and I have already found a companion. What about you?"
"Don"t worry, there will always be someone waiting for me."
Shen Chengyi took a deep breath.
Yan Jun stared at him and said, "Leave after you finish eating."
"When will Father leave?"
Shen Chengyi changed the topic.
"There"s about ten minutes left."
Shen Chengyi smiled at the silent Xiao Jing and said, "I hope it"s a good journey."
Xiao Jing bitterly smiled.
"Ding … …"
The abrupt ringing of the telephone was amplified in the dining room.
Shen Chengyi looked at the number on the phone and confirmed that it was from the research inst.i.tute. He pressed the answer b.u.t.ton, "What"s the matter?"
The entire s.p.a.ce was silent for several tens of seconds.
Not used to the sudden silence, Shen Tianyi looked up in the direction of the children. "Is there something important?"
"Go ahead."
Shen Chengyi looked at Xiao Jing, who was sitting on the chair, and said with a serious expression, "The research data has been stolen, I need to go back immediately to process it."
"How could an academy like this be so easily robbed of its information?"
Yan Jun hurriedly asked, "Is this Third Brother"s information?"
"No."
Shen Chengyi wanted to say something, but he hesitated.
Xiao Jing now knew about it. Was it related to her research data?
Shen Chengyi picked up his jacket, "I"ll take care of it first."
"Slow down."
Yan Jun sat back on the chair and asked, "If it wasn"t Third Brother"s, why would he be in such a hurry?"
"There are no less than a hundred guards in this academy. One person can easily enter and steal the information. Do you think the situation is serious?"
Shen Tian a.n.a.lyzed, "But I don"t know what kind of information was stolen. Is it valuable?"
"As long as it"s not my Third Bro, I"m too lazy to care about anything else."
Yan Jun personally received the coat handed over by the butler. After putting it on for Shen Tian, she patted him on the shoulder and asked, "This trip will only last three days?"
"Yes."
Shen Tian put on his watch, "Alright, it"s time to go."
The plane left on time.
The sun was s.h.i.+ning brightly, and white clouds were rolling in the sky.
"Dong, dong, dong."
Heavy, hurried footsteps came from the corridor.
Shen Chengfeng pushed open the office door and rushed back overnight to a.s.sist the Tian Cheng team. Unexpectedly, his wife was taken away by her father the moment he arrived at the camp.
He had originally planned to immediately head to the airport to stop Xiao Jing from leaving Flower Country, but the plane had already set off on time an hour ago.
Shen Chengyi sat on a chair and looked at the man outside the office. He nodded, "You came really quickly."
"What do you mean on the phone?"
Shen Chengfeng walked forward and stared intently at the computer screen.
"They shouldn"t be simple people. To be able to avoid all of our security systems, they must have been planning for a period of time. Originally, they were planning to steal information about you, but who would have thought that they would accidentally take Xiao Jing"s information."
Shen Chengyi pointed at the hand which was rummaging through the shelves on the screen. Finally, it seemed like he had exposed it. In a moment of desperation, he grabbed an encrypted file from the safe.
"Xiao Jing"s information?"
Shen Chengfeng emphasized.
Shen Chengyi coughed, "The data from the blood test was useless. It"s just that I need to strengthen the Inst.i.tute"s defenses."
Shen Chengfeng turned around and prepared to leave.
Shen Chengyi stood up and said with interest, "Don"t you want to know how Xiao Jing spent that wonderful night at home last night?"
Shen Chengfeng halted his steps, "Second brother, you might need to change the door."
Before he could finish his words, Shen Chengfeng"s hand had already covered the security door with the triple pa.s.sword.
"Stop, quickly stop!"
Shen Chengyi exclaimed in shock.
Shen Chengfeng corroded the entire door without any hesitation and did not feel that his actions were wrong. He put on his gloves again and said, "This time, the reinforcement measure failed. I will clean it up for you. You can now fully use your mind to rethink how to encrypt the next step."
Shen Chengyi looked at the mess on the floor and bared his teeth, "Thanks to me being careful to cover up for you, I will be honest with my parents in the future."
"Then you"d better think it over. Previously, you had ignored the information and even deliberately twisted the facts. With the pressure from these two felony, I can redeem myself. What about you?"
"I"m afraid he"ll have to stay in confinement until next year."
"You"re threatening me?"
"Second brother is a smart man."
"Get out."
Shen Chengyi pointed at the door. He was thinking of calling this unlovable third brother over to mock him, but who would have thought that not only was he unlovable, he was also unscrupulous.
However, Shen Chengfeng was not moved. He asked, "Are your parents suspicious of anything?"
Shen Chengyi glanced at him, "What can I suspect?"
"Do you dare to suspect that the daughter-in-law they are thinking about is Xiao Jing?"